


Great People

by Leif Writes (FrankensteinsMomster)



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Awkwardness, F/M, Feelings, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-25 12:09:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22495885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrankensteinsMomster/pseuds/Leif%20Writes
Summary: Edrisa comes to visit and Malcolm is bad at feelings.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright & Edrisa Tanaka
Comments: 3
Kudos: 41





	Great People

There was a knock and he begrudgingly left his comfy spot on the couch to open the door. 

"Mother, I'm not particularly in the mood-" he stopped. Edrisa stared back at him, an overstuffed laptop bag weighing her down. He was instantly and painfully aware of the fact that he was only wearing a dark pair of briefs. She smiled at him, letting out a small laugh before pushing her way past him and his gaping mouth that had suddenly forgotten all forms of communication.

"Oh wow, this your place? It's very," she gestured to the wall of weapons, "masculine. Very you." 

"The paper you're writing," he pinched the bridge of his nose, "I told you I'd look at it, I forgot that was today." His brain finally caught up with him. He looked down at his bare torso and legs. "I should put on some clothes." He gave her a tight-lipped smile before half running to his closet. 

"Or don't, I don't mind," she called after him, breaking out into a fit of giggles. He blushed and wondered why he was such an awkward mess. "I'll just set up here," she pulled her laptop and a binder full of messy papers out of her bag and began to spread them over the kitchen counter. 

Malcolm shut the door to the closet and leaned against the door, his heart pounding in his ears. He stayed in that position till his breathing evened out. He knew Edrisa was attracted to him but he had never taken the time to sort his own feelings for her out. She was a co-worker. A friend. A brilliant mind. She was beautiful and had a morbid sense of humor that complemented his own. He sighed. Clothes first. Figure feelings out later.

…

He set the papers down, thinking carefully before he cleared his throat to catch Edrisa's attention. She was lost in thought looking at a pair of particularly nasty looking throwing knives. 

"They're not very practical in an actual battle but they're pretty." She jumped at the sound of his voice and it was her turn to blush. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." She had been so deeply lost in thought and he wondered what it was that she was thinking, realizing he couldn’t quite read her. Her face was usually an open book but she seemed quiet and contemplative now.

"It's like a museum, how long have you been collecting?" Her genuine interest caught him a bit off guard. He was used to people being concerned or weirded out by his collection but of course she was interested. He wouldn’t be surprised if she had her own strange collection of her own. She was a little strange, a little different, like him. 

"I was fifteen, maybe sixteen when I bought my first sword. It was a fake of course and I paid a ridiculous amount for it. My mother threw it away and took me directly to my therapist when she found it,” he rolled his eyes at the memory of his mother lecturing him. “But before I get carried away talking about this let’s talk about your paper. I took notes.”

…

They leaned against the kitchen counter laughing, he wiped a tear from his face. 

“Oh my god, I never thought the day would come but you win. That is the worst first date I’ve ever heard of.” she shrugged and bumped her shoulder against his.

“Well I’m glad my adolescent pain has won me something, it only took a couple of decades.” she leaned against his shoulder and he unintentionally stiffened, pulling away from her. 

"I feel like I need to say something," she rested her hand on his shoulder. He felt the blush rising in his cheeks again and fought himself from pulling away. Breath, he told himself. She took a deep breath and started again. "Malcolm, I flirt with you. A lot. And I apologize if I ever make you uncomfortable with my forwardness. Please, tell me if I'm crossing a line you're uncomfortable with. It’s no secret that I think you’re gorgeous and smart and smell good and have perfect hair and,-” she waved her hands as if to shake off the thought, “I’m getting off topic. What I mean is, yes, I like you. But you’re also my friend and I’m completely fine with just being friends. I don’t want to make things awkward. Well more awkward than normal.” She sighed and took a step back away from him. He ran his hand through his hair and collected is thoughts.

"Thank you Edrisa. I- I can't say that I don't enjoy the attention. I'm more accustomed to people hating me than liking me." He gave her a weak smile that she returned. 

"You don't deserve that. You're not a terrible person Malcolm."

"I'm not a great person either," he quietly replied. She snorted in response. 

“Malcolm, none of us are great people. Did you not just hear my story about the dung beetles on my first date?” They stood for a while, close but not touching, only the occasional chirps and tweets of Sunshine marking the passing of time. 

“It’s getting late, I better go.” Malcolm helped her pack her bag up without another word. He walked her the door and was about the shut it when she called out to him. 

"Dani and I are having a game night on Saturday, I was thinking of inviting J.T. and Tally too. Maybe you can come? I promise there will be plenty of embarrassing stories and absolutely zero pressure to tell me I'm pretty." She was out of sight before he could reply. 

He shut the door and returned to his place on the couch he had been disturbed from a few hours earlier. Shutting his eyes he replayed the night in his head. He had a lot to think about before Saturday night.


End file.
